Apparatus for developing photographic paper strip



Feb. 8, 1949. v. J. FORGETT 2,461,419

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER STRIPS Filed July 24, 1947' 4 Sheets-Sheet l F 2 JNVENTOR.

\M \X m BY Wm 9W A TTORNEYS.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6.

V. J. FORGETT IN V EN TOR.

FIG.5

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER STRIPS Feb. 8, 1949.

Filed July 24, 1947 A 7' TOR/V5 Y5.

Feb. 8, 1949. V FORGETT 2,461,419

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER STRIPS Filed July 24, 1947 4 Shets-Sheet 3 A T TORNEYS.

Feb. 8, 1949 v. J. FORGETT 2,461,419

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER STRIPS Filed July 24, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

A T TORNE Y5.

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTO- GRAKHIC PAPER STRIP Valmore J. Forgett, Ridgefield, N. J.

Application July 24, 1947, Serial No. 763,411

This invention relates to apparatus for developing, fixing and washing strips of photographic paper.

Substantial economies can be effected in the commercial printing of photographs by using long strips of photographic paper for printing groups of negatives, and then processing all of the prints in a continuous operation. When completed and dried, the separate prints are cut apart and sorted. The apparatus of this invention is a developer, it being understood that a developer includes means for fixing and washing the strip immediately after its development. One object of the invention is to provide an improved developer with guide rollers for reversing the run of the strip as it passes through and between successive tanks of liquid, and to maintain some tension on the strip between successive guide rollers regardless of stretching of the paper while wet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a continuous strip developer with simple and compact power mechanism for driving successive guide rollers and Wind-up reels, and with provision for accommodating the speed of a wind-up reel to the diameter of the strip that is already wrapped around the reel.

Still another object is to provide a dual strip developer, that is, a developer capable of operating on two strips successively or simultaneously. In the developer of this invention, a second strip of photographic paper can. be threaded through the developer and operation on this second strip can be initiated during the time that another strip is being developed.

Other features of the invention relate to the construction of the frame of the apparatus. In the preferred construction, this frame is fabricated from structural sections which hold a row of tanks in assembled relation. The frame includes longitudina1 structural elements along opposite sides of the row of tanks, and transverse elements connected with the of the frame, but extending beyond the sides of the frame to provide supports for certain parts of the apparatus which must be located outside of the tanks. Still other features relate to the liquid circulating system of the apparatus for maintaining the liquids in the respective tanks in condition for elfective and efiicient operation, and for maintaining a circulation of water through the washing tanks.

Qther objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which 5 Claims. (CI. 9594) like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 is a side View partly broken away, showing developer apparatus embodying this invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of a. portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the first two tanks and part of the third tank of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, the section being taken on a plane parallel to the plane of the drawing in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a greatly enlarged perspective View of one of the clips and drain plates shown in Figure 4,

Figure 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical elevation of the upper portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1, but viewing the apparatus from the opposite side,

Figure 8 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1,

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the discharge end of the developer apparatus.

The apparatus shown in Figure 1 comprises a fabricated frame 10 made up of vertical sections 11 connected together by longitudinally extending sections 12 and transverse sections 13. Within this frame there are tanks comprising a developer tank 15, three tanks 16 for fixing solution, and five tanks 1'? for water.

The paper strip to be developed is wrapped in a reel 20 and supported from brackets 21 at one end of the frame 10. The strip, indicated by the reference character 23, unwinds progressively from the reel 20, passes over a first guide roller 25 and then downward into the developer tank 15.

Within the developer tank 15, at a predetermined distance from the bottom of the tank, there is an idler guide roller which is not shown in Figure 1, but will he described in connection with subsequent figures of the drawing. The stri 23 passes around the idler roller in the developer tank .15 and thence upward to another guide roller 2'7. This second guide roller 27 again reverses the run of the strip so that it passes downward into the first one of the tanks 16. This first tank 16 contains a quick fix solution, that is, a chemical solution that will arrest instantly the action of any developer remaining on the paper. Ihe strip 23 travels around other rollers which cause it to pass downward to a predetermined tionhe rig identical with thatof' the axle 4i.

depth in each tank and then upward around other guide rollers and downward into successive tanks. The second and third tanks it are filled with solution for effecting a permanent fixing of the photographs, and the next five tanks ii are filled with water for thoroughly washing the strip before it passes over a final guide roller 29. From this final guide roller 29, the strip 23 is wound up on a reeltil, supported from the frame" ic by brackets 35, and driven by power mechanism which will be described in connection with the other Views.

Figure 2 shows the roller 25-andits axlext i supported in bearing blocks 36 and ill. The'bearing block 3'! is supported. on the uppermost longitudinally extending frame section iZ on' therighthand side of the apparatus, and the :bearingbiock 3G is supported by a beam 38 extending across the tops of all of the tanks and longitudinally'of the apparatus at a location substantially midway hetweentthe "longitudinal supportsprovidedby the side sections i2. This beamiaiis supportedat' its oppositaendshytransverse sections it of the frarne-l The roller 25 is of substantially the same. width, or'slightlyawider'ithan the? transverse width of the paper stripzwithwhich the developer is intendedit'mbe used. The transversewidthoi-the tank !5 is substantially greater than twice thewidths. of the roller. 3 so: that another roller 48 cani'be locatedton' the other side of the beam 38 forus'e with aisecond stripiof. photographie paper. The rollerult-has an axlei il supported: at one end by a bearing block t3 and supported. at the otherrend bys'th'e'r'center .bearingblock 36. This center bearing block hastwo' bearingstherein; forthe axles't i andillkrespectively; and these bearingsfmay be separatedby annularrgrooves or may be opposite ends of a continuous cylindrical surface: Thebearing blocks '35, 31'and13 are connectedto 'their respective supports by screws The axle 4! extends through andbeyon'd the bearing blocki' isandi is' 'h'eld against endwise movement by a thrust collar 3'! on one si-deof tl-ie bearingblock 3 andiby the hub of "a sprocket titron thepthersideofithe" bearing block 43. The thrust collar 4'! andsprocket liiare preferably pinned'tothe' axle lil; so: as to turn as units with thei axle;

.Bctweeirthe'tank' lEa'n'd the'first-one of the ta k. titheres anotherguiderrollef-Eil with an axle: all supported by a center bearing'block' 36' at one end and a single bearing block 53' at the othereud. .There'isa thrust collard! and a c 48 attached to the axle 51-, the construc- Between all oi'the-successivetanks of the developer there are'sirnilar guideroll'ers' 21' and 50 located on oppostie sides of 1 the center beam 38;

l liidwa'y' between the gui'de'rollers/in and 59 there is a frame Ei' With'a-b'ar at its upper end. his-bar Edie-considerably wider than the reinainider'of'the frame fi; and" its opposite ends serve as hangers for supporting the frame as from the beam 38 and. the adjacent longitudinal frame section l2. Open top sockets 51 are provided'in the beam 3t and framesection 12 for receiving the ends of the bar 55';

There is a similar frame 55, similarly supported between the guide rollers 25 and 21; andthere erect-h er frames fie extending' downward into the tanksbetween all of 'the subsequent guide rollers of the apparatus.

The frames-5d support idler guide rollers 68" (Figures 4 and 5) near the lower ends of the tanks. These idler guide rollers have flanges $5 for preventing transverse movement of the strip. The advantage of these flanges is they prevent the strip from becoming displaced on. the idler guide roller 66 during the initial threading or" the strip, or a leader, through the apparatus.

In the construction illustrated, each of the frames ficin'cludes vertically extending sidechannels E2 connected at their upper ends by the bar 55 connected midway between. their ends by tie'bolts E3. When threading the strip or leader, thefi'arnes 54 are lifted out of the tanks, the

strip or leader is extended across between the guide rollers at opposite ends of the tank, and the roller this placed in contact with the top surface ofthestr-ip and pushed downward into the tank until the bar 55 at the top of the frame E l cn'tersinto the supporting sockets which hold the frame es in working position. The strip '23 then located'in the tank in the position indicated in Figure 4;

The angle which the downwardly extending run ofithe'strip makes with the upwardly extending runxlepends upon the depth and. the length oithe'rrespective tanks. In the'water tanks, which aren'ot .as'wideas the developer and flXill"SOl1ltion tanks, the strip extends downwardly and upwardly at steeper angles. In describing the operation of theguide rollers for reversing the run of. the strip, it will be understood that this expression does not denote a change in direction which must amount to 180, but thadirection of the strip is changed by an angle greaterthan The actual value of the angle depends upon correlations of horizontal and vertical distances between the guide rollers.

vlileeptanks have the advantage of length of the apparatus and loca g the guide rollers and the winding and unwinding ree s at convenient heights for handling by an attendant when theapparatus is standing on the deeptanks have the further advantage that a longer length of strip is immersed at the some timeand the. strip can therefore travel faster and still have each unit of area immersed for a period sufii-ciently long for the'desired treatment by the liquidin the tank.

The developer and fixing solution tanks ar made longerlongitudinally than the water tanks becauseithe strength of the chemicals is afiected by their reaction with the emulsion on the paper, and-a substantial volume of chemical causes the change in strength to take place more slowly.

The

Watenis circulated continuously through the water" tanks; and if sufficient provision is made for circulating and replenishing the developer and fixingsolutions, the tanks for those solutions need not hev any larger than the water tanks,

Inthepreferred construction of the apparatus, each of. the tanks 'liasan inlet pipe its (Fig. 3) opening into the tank near the lower end of the tank. Each inlet pipe tshas an upwardly extending portionthat rises to a levelcaloove the liquid'level in the tank, and that connects with a source of supply of the kind of liquid used inthe particular tank with which that inlet pipe connects. A supplypipe 66 leading to the liquid supply source connects with the upper end of the inlet pipe 54. Near the upper end of each tank there is a drain comprising an overflow pipe 83 opening through the side of the tank at the intended level of the liquid in the tank. This liquidlevelis indicated in Figure 3 by the dotted line"). Each of the overflow pipes 68 opens reducing the into a. common drain pipe 12 (Fig. 1) that rests on extensions of one of the transverse frame sections 13. This drain pipe 12 is held in place on the frame by U-bolts l5. and it has an outlet 16 near its lower end leading to the sewer.

The inlet pipe 64 leading to the developer 4 I5 is supplied with developer from a reservoir. The developer runs into the pipe 64 at a relatively slow rate. but sufficient to maintain the required strength of the developer in the tank. Similarly, fixing solution for the quick fix in the first of the tanks I6 is supplied from a reservoir to the pipe 54 that leads to the first of the fixing solution tanks l6. Similarly the other tanks it are supplied with fixing solution and at rates to maintain the strength of the chemicals in the fixing tanks. Water for the final tanks is similarly supplied to the bottoms of the tanks through pipe 64 and from a water-supply line that connects with all of the water tank inlets and at a rate fast enough to maintain the necessary purity of the washing water.

Contamination of the liquid in one tank by liquid carried on the strip from the previous tank is prevented by drain plates 85 (Figs. l and 6). Each of these drain plates is attached to a clip having a center portion 82 that bridges the upper ends of the adjacent sides of successive tanks, and has downwardly extending portions 33 that extend along the inside walls of the successive tanks for a limited distance to hold the clips in place. Each drain plate 88 is attached to its clip in a position that gives the drain plate a substantial slope when the clip is in position on the upper edge portions of the tank walls. These clip-s are placed on the tanks in such a direction that the drain plates 80 slope toward the tank from which the paper strip is emerging as it approaches the guide roll above the drain plate.

The guide rollers 50 are far enough above the liquid levels in the tanks to permit a substantial portion of the liquid on the paper to run back into the tank from which the paper emerges. What liquid is squeezed off onto the guide rollers 50 by contact of the strip with the guide roller drips from the bottom of the guide roller onto the drain plate 8!! from which the liquid runs back into the tank from which it came.

In order to obtain uniform results, the apparatus controls both the temperature of the liquid in the developertank and the length of time that the paper is exposed to the action of the developer. The temperature control is obtained by supplying a, tortuous run of refrigeration tubing 8'! (Figs. 3 and i) below the level of the liquid in the developer tank I5. Heat insulation is provided around the tank 55. This insulation includes panels 28 covering both the front and back of the tank l5, and other panels 88 that cover the sides of the tank. The side panels 88' preferably extend for substantially the full length of the apparatus to cover all of the tanks and give the equipment a heater appearance. The ends of the tubing 81 extend through openings in a side wall of the tank i5, near the bottom of the tank, and this tubing is connected with areirigeration unit 89 (Fig. 8).

Additional refrigerant is supplied by the unit 89 to the refrigeration tubing 8'! whenever the temperature of the liquid in the tank 55 exceeds a predetermined limit. This automatic temperature control can be effected by means of a thermostat, but is preferably obtained by using the pres sure variation with change of temperature to start and stop the refrigeration unit in accordbe '7) r n. fr supporting the a 5 ance with the practice commonly employed for domestic refrigerators.

The length of time that the paper strip is exposed to the action of the developer depends upon the speed of rotation of the guide rollers, more particularly the rollers 25 and 2? for one strip, and the guide rollers ii} and 56 for the other strip. The rollers 48 and Eli are driven by a sprocket chain 9! (Fig. 7). This chain, which extends across all of the sprockets 2.) on the near side of the apparatus in Figure '7, is driven by a sprocket on the low speed shaft of a gear reduction unit d3. A pulley $4 on the high speed shaft of the gear reduction unit is rotated by a V-belt rom a variable speed pulley mechanism 96.

Power is sup-plied to the v" l pulley mechanism 95 from ele c L and through a V-belt The gear reduction unit 93, the variable speed i 936 and the motor 9'! are all connected to a supported by a shell or platform Hid that rests upon transverse frame sections 5'? extending one side of the apparatus beyond the verti ctions H, as most clearly shown Fi ure The variable speed pulley mach 86 includes two pulleys i8; and int carried on an axle This axle ltd supported by frame that is connected by a pivot N35 with supports 556 that are attached to the platform 35.

The pulleys ilii and i l? have their adjacent faces on opposite sides of a common center flange is movable within a lim ed and from the other flanges of the uh the width of the grooves of th. r. and thus increase or diameter of the pulley f right about the pivot E ia of the belt 98 is increased, and belt 55 is decreased. This causes the \!belt 93 to be forced more deeply into the groove of one of the pulleys, widening the groove and forcing the intermediate flange, that common to both pulleys, to move toward the other belt 55 so that the other belt with the relaxed tension rides in the narrowed groove of the pulley Hi2. .iis adjustment causes the motor 9'? to drive tics sprocke at higher speed.

The pivots provided tion, or other 111a,..1$ are us frame that supports the axle adjusted positions. By me he er i very accurate adjustin at can the speed of rotation of the guide length of time that the is e action of the developer is accurai' regulated.

Other power m ans provided the guide rollers on the other These other power means may be ope the motor 9?, but are pref aly provided with a separate motor led. Whether rollers for the second strip of paper are driven from the motor Q's, or from a separate motor 5 ifeature of the preferred embodiment oi ti: that the rollers for the second strip can be opera ing independently of the drive to the guide rollers for the first strip.

The motor N39 has a pulley that dri es a .''-belt I! I connected with variable speed pu-ley mechanism H2 from which power is transmitted through another V-belt to a speed reduction unit H4. The motor i6 3, variable sp mechanism H2 gear reduction unit H4, are

preferably-mounted on the same platform 2 with the driving mechanism for the sproch ts A chain H6 driven from a sprocket at the low speed end of the speed. reduction unit ii drives a sprocket ill pinned to a cross shaft lid (Fig. 2). This cross shaft Hi8 turns suitable be rings in the frame ill and has another sprocket Elli on the, o osite side of the machine in line with the spro ets that drive the guide rollers 25 and 2?. A sprocket chain 52% passes over the sprocket 52E all of the sprockets on the same s'de of the appa atus. A i255 (Fig. l) is placed over the c-. ns sprockets.

The guide rollers 25, ll! and E153 and the 5: lar guide rollers over which the strips pass are preferably crowned in order to keep the strips centered on the g e rollers as the strips pass through machine. The er rollers 55 may also be ClGi dad or the flanges Si can be relied upon to keep the strai s centered on these guide rollers '68.

The driven guide rollers 25, 2?, 3 and 5d, etc, are preierafoiy or" progremlvely larger diameter between successive tanks. 031168 the rotary speed of all of these guide rollers is the same, in the construction illustrated, the larger diameter gives the successive guide rollers progressively higher peripheral speeds to compensate for stretch in the paper strips and to maintain some tension on the strips within the The fa es of these guide rollers are preferably rubber smooth enough to allow some slip, ing of the rollers on the paper before the tension becomes great enough to tear the paper. Some tension is important because any play or oi the strips in tl e tanks would he cumulative 31 might result in rubbing and cor tch ng of the paper on stationary portions of the t 0t, means can be provided for obi! ing he progressively higher peripheral speed from one guide rolle to the next.

Beyond tl e last guide rollers 2% (Fig. 9) there are centers i holding the reels on which the -clevelcned paper strips are One of the centers lit for each reel preferalc fixed and rigidly secured to the middle bracket extending from the fixed frame of the apparatus.

Each of the other centers are attached to the a shaft 528 that rotates in a bearmg 129 This shaft 528 Is movable longitudinally in the bearil- .inst -re of a spring Lil. bet. is the l'lracket ester used frame of the apparatus, and the spring l3 i compressed bell s tween this bracket 3% and a flange i3 l attached to the oi theshait adjacent the center I23.

A B35 recess in the reel to transmit rotary motion. of the shaft Elite the reel. In order to tur' the reeltil at different sneeds in accordance with the diameter of paper strip wound on the reel at anv given time, a friction. drive is provided for rotating the shaft 628. This friction drive comprises a coil spring belt 838 which passes over a {3L :e end'oithe shaft 52%, and anoth the same shaft with the guide r With the pulleys its and i 53 of the same diameter, the rotary speed of tr e shaft !28 is equal to that of the guide roller 29. The reel 3%) is made with a diameter not less that of the final guide roller so that the length of the paper strip wound on he reel 3%, with each revolution of the reel, is equal to the length of the strip that comes from the apparatus over the driven guide rollertil. As the diameter of the strip ,wound on the reel 30 increases, the

rotary speed ofthe reel must decrease. This is possible without imposing excessive tension on the strip because the spring belt E38 can slip easily on the pulleys I33 and [39. The tension of the spring belt I38 is chosen so as to supply just enough friction to cause the paper strip 23 to wrap up on the reel 39 with the desired pressure between the successive convolutions. The drive for the reels for both of the paper strips is identical.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features of the invention can be used alone, or in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. Apparatus for vthe -ultaneous or selective developing, f1"n and suing of twoseparate strips of photographic paper, said apparatus comprising a IOl-V of successive tanks having widths greater than the of tl widths of the two strips withwhich the annaratus is intended to he rollers between successive tanks and rotatable on bearings above the up ends of the tanks, two idler rollers for re l th idler rol s the two strips with which the apparatus is inthrough the tended to be used, a guide roller between each two successive tanks but extending not more than half-way across the width of the tank, another guide roller between successive tanks and across a portion of the remaining width of the tank; power driving mechanism for said guide roller including control means for applying power to all of the guide rollers on. one sideof each of the tanks and selec ively to the guide rollers on the other side of each of the tanks, separate idler rollers in each of the-tanks for reversing the run of strip between the successive power-driven guide rollers, and a support for each idler roller removable from ti e tanlt for threading a strip ,ratus.

3. Apparatus for developing, fixing and washstrips of photographic paper, said apparatus comprising a row of tanks with each tank adjacent the next successive tank or the row and with the transverse width of the inside of each tank more than twice the width of the individual paper strips t ith which the apparatus is intended to be used, longitudinal supports, along opposite sides of the row of tanks, a beam extending longitudinally above the row of tanks substantially midway between said longitudinal supports, rollers in the tanks, two sets of other rollers, each of said sets including rollers b tween successive tanks and above the sides of the successive tanks, one of said sets being located between the beam and one of the longitudinal supports, and the other of said sets being located between the beam and the other longitudinal support, a separate shaft for each of said other rollers, and bearings vfor the shafts including single hearings on the longitudinal supports, and center bearing blocks along the beam, each of said center bearing blocks having two bearings therein, one for each of the shafts of the rollers on the opposite sides of the center beam.

Apparatus for developing, fixing and washing strips of photographic paper, said apparatus comprising a plurality of deep tanks with successive tanks adjacent one another and with each tank of a transverse width greater than twice the width of the strips of paper with which the apparatus is intended to be used, a structure in which the tanks are held in assembled relation, said structure including longitudinal supports extending along opposite sides of the row of tanks at the upper ends of the tanks, and a longitudinal beam extending above the row of tanks substantially midway between said longitudinal supports, separate frames that extend down into the tanks, there being two such frames for each tank, one on either side of the beam, open top sockets in the beam and the longitudinal support-s, bars extending from opposite sides of the frames and fitting into said open top sockets for maintainmg the frames at a given distance from the bottoms of the respective tanks while leaving each of the frames free to be lifted from its tank independently without disturbing any of the other frames, an idler roller for the strip at the lower end portion of each frame, other rollers between successive tanks and above the adjacent sides of successive tanks and between the beam and each of the longitudinal supports, a shaft for each of said other rollers, and bearings for the shafts including single bearings on the longitudinal supports, and center bearing blocks along the beam, each of said center bearing blocks having two bearings therein, one for each of the shafts of the rollers on the opposite sides of the center beam, the shafts of said other rollers extending through and beyond the single bearings, a sprocket on the end of each shaft, a sprocket chain connecting all of the sprockets on one side of the apparatus, another sprocket chain connecting all of the sprockets on the other side of the apparatus, two reels for the finished strip at the discharge end of the apparatus, separately controlled power driving means for the sprocket chains on the opposite sides of the apparatus, and friction driving connections from each of said reels to a different one of said power driving means.

5. A dual strip developer for developing, fixing and washing two strips of photographic paper serectively or simultaneously, said developer comprising a fabricated frame of structural sections embracing a space for a plurality of tanks within the fabricated frame and having sections in position to hold such tanks together in an assembled relaticn with the tanks in a row and successive tanks adjacent one another, the fabricated frame including a longitudinal section extending along the tank space at the upper end of the tank space and on each side thereof, a structural section extending along the tank space immediately above the row of tanks when tanks are embraced by the frame in the intended manner, said structural section being substantially midway between the longitudinal sections, and guide rolls for the strips supported from the longitudinal sections and said structural section.

VALMORE J. FORGETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 525,849 Mackusick Sept. 11, 1894 1,587,051 Thompson June 1, 1926 1,686,907 Fairall Oct. 9, 1928 1,967,889 Kitroser July 24, 1934 2,006,702 Van Buren July 2, 1935 2,135,516 Hurxthal Nov. 8, 1938 2,146,170 Brenbarger et al. Feb. 7, 1939 2,346,530 Wyllie, Jr Apr. 11, 1944 2,419,853 Pask Apr. 29, 1947 2,428,790 Dye et al Oct. 14, 1947 

